Respect Collaboration Kindness Perseverance Honesty Responsibility
Respect Collaboration Kindness Perseverance Honesty Responsibility
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we close the doors on Term 1, I want to take a moment to pause and thank every member of the Delce community.
This time of year is a wonderful reminder of the values we champion: respect, kindness, and collaboration. Our pupils have demonstrated these both in the classroom and during whole-school activities. We have seen our children settle into their new classes, forming friendships and immersing themselves in their learning. Inside this newsletter, you will find highlights of all the exciting events and learning that have taken place.
Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday.
Warmest regards,
Miss North
Attendance
Attendance Matters!
Well done to Dickens Class and Sharman Class
Dyson 88.61%
Inventors 92.90%
Jackson 94.29%
Rhodes 94.22%
Earhart 92.24%
Sharman 94.51%
Adams 94.18%
Dickens 97.14%
Goulding 89.23%
Brunel 93.43%
Curie 92.66%
Darwin 86.70%
Our Core Value this term: Respect
What does RESPECT mean to you? This was our point of discussion in our recent assembly on RESPECT. To promote our core value, RESPECT, the pupils at Delce had the opportunity to engage in pair discussion on what RESPECT means. We shared ideas on how to demonstrate RESPECT within the school community and outside.
Examples of how to show RESPECT suggested by Delce pupils:
Help a child up when they are hurt on the floor.
Don't back-chat at the teachers.
Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
Tidy up classroom resources.
When you see any rubbish on the floor, pick it up.
Don't be mean to others.
Say please and thank you.
Hello! We are Aisha and Bethany and we are JLT!
We are here to talk about our Delce values. They are respect, kindness, responsibility, perseverance, responsibility and honesty. This term, our behaviour has been excelling from Year 3 to Year 6! We recognise the children that are doing this by handing out certificates or giving out stickers to show it.
People at Delce Academy feel safe, cared for and feel like they belong by following our Delce values. We encourage other children to also not just follow these at school, but also at home.
At Delce Academy, we show our values by listening to teachers and peers, helping each other in hard situations, having a good think about our actions, being honest and being yourself! At Delce, we encourage you (the parents) to also teach them the six values at home. Another way we show our values is our presentation, as we show pride and respect in our exercise books. As JLT, we encourage the children to work on their handwriting and our reward for having superb handwriting is by granting them a pen license! JLT also gets to monitor books and grant pupils pen licenses. We are JLT and we are proud to represent our school
-From the Junior Leadership Team, this article was written by Aisha and Bethany.
This week, Year 3 completed our final outcome in Art. We studied the illustrator Zoe Persico from our core text 'Greta and the Giants'. We learnt many skills such as sketching , blending and to then add a 3D effect using different collage medium to bring our interpretation of a scene alive. We are very proud of our work and would like to share it with you.
This week, Year 4 visited Chatham Dockyard to enrich and enhance our history learning on World War 2, linking to our global theme of peace and conflict. We were very fortunate to go into an air raid shelter actually used in World War II and experience the sights, sounds and smells. We learnt about the challenges faced on board HMS cavalier, the last operational WWII destroyer as well as going on board a submarine. We then collaboratively had a go at rope making! We are very proud of the Year 4 children, what a fantastic trip!
Year 5 have worked hard to write their final non-chronological reports on natural disasters. The children have used a range of writing techniques to inform readers of these chaotic events on Earth. They used fronted adverbials, a range of conjunctions and topic vocabulary. To keep the reader engaged, the Year 5 children used a range of punctuation to vary sentence structure (such as colons,semi colons, brackets and dashes for parenthesis.
We have also enjoyed making our own wind turbines during our DT lessons.
Year 6 have had an exciting few weeks. We have been able to explore lots of different types of photography. With our main focus on an artist called Slinkachu, the children were able to showcase their artistic talents through photography. The children in year 6 spent some time outside of the classroom, solidifying their photography skills before creating a series of separate scenes in the classroom using model figures. Some of the children were able to create their final outcome using a variety of everyday materials from around the classroom.
Jackson class enjoyed the trip to the Dockyard, we extended our learning about World War 2. We enjoyed the air raid shelter experience and exploring the ships and submarine.
We hope children have a safe half term and look forward to seeing them after the half term. Children can access TT Rockstars and purple mash over the half term.
SEND
A message from our SENCO, Mr Palmer...
Mr. Palmer's Strategy of the Week!
Do you find your child gets overwhelmed when you go out to busier environments?
When they are feelings overwhelmed get them to find: 5 things they can see, 4 things they can hear, 3 things they can smell, 2 things they can touch and 1 thing they can taste. This is called grounding and can really help a child re-centre when they are feeling overwhelmed.
Thank you for the wonderful generosity shown by our whole school community and parents for our Harvest donations this year!
Your response has been truly heart-warming. We are so grateful for all the non-perishable food items you sent in.
These donations will make a real difference, providing essential support to those in need through Medway Foodbank! Thank you again for your kindness and compassion.
We love seeing so many of our students choosing active travel like bikes and scooters for the journey to and from school! As the weather changes, we want to share two important reminders to ensure the safety of everyone during our busy drop-off and pick-up times.
We know electric scooters (e-scooters) are becoming increasingly popular. However, their speed and quiet nature can pose a risk in the crowded areas immediately surrounding the school. Please be mindful of the students and parents on the road. Public Road Use: Privately owned electric scooters are currently illegal to use on public roads, pavements and footpaths in the UK. Modelling Safety: We ask parents and older siblings who use e-scooters to model safety and caution when approaching the school area. Be mindful that children dart quickly, and high speeds are dangerous near pedestrians.
The Mandatory Rule:
All wheeled transport—including bikes, manual kick scooters and electric scooters—must be walked once you cross the school boundary/gate and placed in the designated allocated area in the school.
Thank you for your cooperation in reinforcing these rules. By slowing down and being aware in these busy areas, we keep our entire community safer!
Wishing the following children a Happy Birthday for those who have their birthday over the next three weeks!
Harry - Dyson
Yuri - Earhart
Chase - Jackson
Grace - Dickens
Callum - Jackson
Noah - Brunek
Jan - Sharman
Harry - Brunel
Connie - Earhart
Robyn - Dyson
Kalin - Earhart
Chidum - Curie
Lacie-Louise - Goulding
Buddy - Curie
Theodore - Dyson
Shikemi - Curie
Ayla - Dickens
Uniform at Delce
No hooped / dangly earrings, no trainers and long hair is to be tied back.
Please refer to our uniform policy or speak with the class teacher should you have any queries.
PE - Plain white t-shirt, black shorts and or plain black joggers / sweatshirt and black trainers.
Pinafore dress – black/grey
Skirt – black/grey
White polo t-shirt
Jumper/Cardigan – with logo (purchase from School Time in Chatham)
Trousers – black/grey
Plain black/grey tights (worn with pinafore or skirt)
Socks - black /grey
Summer Dress - Chequered Blue dress
Shorts - Grey / Black shorts
We have observed an increase in footwear that does not comply with our school uniform policy, specifically non-black trainers. We understand that there may be temporary situations requiring alternative footwear, such as when new shoes are being purchased. We kindly request your cooperation in ensuring your child wears appropriate black footwear as per the uniform guidelines.
Additionally, we wish to remind you of our policy regarding jewellery. With the exception of items worn for religious or cultural purposes, bracelets, necklaces, and hooped/dangly earrings are not permitted. Any such items will be respectfully collected by staff and placed in a named envelope for collection from reception. This measure is to prevent loss or damage during the school day.
Please ensure your child is in full and correct uniform. Your support in maintaining our school's uniform standards is greatly appreciated.
Healthy Snacks!
A reminder about break-time snacks.
To support the health and wellbeing of all our pupils, we ask that children bring only healthy snacks to school for break times. This helps us to promote a positive and healthy eating environment for everyone.
Examples of healthy snacks include:
Fresh fruit (e.g., apples, bananas, grapes, berries)
Vegetable sticks (e.g., carrots, cucumber, peppers)
Yogurt
Rice cakes
Small portion of cheese
Homemade popcorn (no added sugar)
We appreciate your support in reinforcing healthy eating habits. Your cooperation ensures that break times contribute positively to our children's energy levels and overall wellbeing.
As we are now in the autumn term, we are looking for enthusiastic parents and carers to join the Friends of Delce Academy and help make a positive impact on our school community.
Being part of this group is a fantastic way to support school events, fundraising initiatives and create memorable experiences for our children. Whether you can offer a little time or a lot, every contribution makes a difference!
We also welcome parent helpers to assist with activities such as school trips, special events and classroom support. If you’re interested in getting involved, please speak to a member of staff or contact the school office.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
If relevant staff are not available and your concern is urgent you can contact:
Medway Children’s Services directly on 01634 334466 and / or,
The Police on 101 (non-emergency) or,
999 (emergency) depending on the level of concern
If you have a safeguarding concern about a member of staff, please inform our Headteacher, Miss North
Key upcoming Dates
Monday 20th October 2025 – Friday 31st October 2025 – Half Term (2 weeks)
Monday 3rd November 2025 – Children Return to school
Friday 7th November 2025 - Beans for Jeans day! (Pupils to wear their own clothes to school and bring in an item of non perishable food)
Monday 10th November 2025 – Individual pupil photos
Monday 10th November 2025 – Friday 14th November 2025 – Anti-Bullying Week
Thursday 13th November 2025 - Friends of Delce Academy - Year 3/4 movie afternoon (details to follow)
Tuesday 18th November 2025 - Year 3 & Jackson Class VR workshop at Delce (pay via Arbor)
Thursday 20th November 2025 - Friends of Delce Academy Year 5/6 movie afternoon (details to follow)
Friday 28th November 2025 – INSET Day (School closed to pupils)
Friday 5th December 2025 - SEND Coffee morning 9am -10am
Friday 12th December 2025 - Delce Christmas Jumper day (please bring in some chocolate to donate for hampers!)
Thursday 18th December 2025 - Friends of Delce Academy - Christmas Disco (details to follow)
Friday 19th December 2025 – Last Day of Term (2pm finish)
Monday 22nd December 2025 – Friday 2nd January 2025 – Half Term
Monday 5th January 2026 – Children return
Friday 30th January 2026 - SEND Coffee morning 9am -10am
Friday 6th February 2026 – NSPCC Day
Monday 9th February 2026 - Friday 13th February 2025 – Children’s Mental Health Week
Tuesday 10th February 2026 – Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 10th February 2026 – Parents Evening (3.40pm - 6pm)
Thursday 12th February 2026 – Parents Evening (3.40pm - 6pm)
Friday 13th February 2026 – Last day of term (normal finish time of 3.25pm)
Monday 16th February – Friday 20th February 2026 – Half term
Monday 23rd February 2026 – Children return
Monday 2nd March 2026 – Friday 6th March 2026 – World Book Week
Thursday 5th March 2026 – World Book Day
Monday 9th March 2026 – Friday 13th British Science Week
Tuesday 10th March 2026 – Year 6 Residential Information evening (for those who have signed up)
Thursday 12th March 2026 - Friends of Delce Academy - Mango event (Mother's Day) details to follow
Friday 20th March 2026 - SEND Coffee morning 9am - 10am
Friday 27th March 2026 – Monday 30th 2026 – Year 6 Residential – Marchants Hill
Wednesday 1st April 2026 - Friends of Delce Academy Easter Disco (details to follow)
Thursday 2nd April 2026 – Last day of term (2pm finish)
Friday 3rd April 2026 – Friday 17th April 2026 – Easter Holidays
Monday 20th April 2026 – Children return
Monday 4th May 2026 – Bank Holiday (School Closed)
Friday 8th May 2026 - SEND Coffee morning 9am - 10am
Monday 11th May 2026 – Thursday 14th May 2026 – SATs Week (Year 6)
Thursday 21st May 2026 - Whole Class Photos
Friday 22nd May 2026 – Last day of term (normal finish time of 3.25pm)
Monday 25th May 2026 – Friday 29th May – Half term
Monday 1st June 2026 – Children return
Thursday 18th June 2026 - Friends of Delce Academy - Fudge event (Father's Day) details to follow
Friday 19th June 2026 – INSET Day (School Closed to pupils)
Friday 17th May 2026 - SEND Coffee morning 9am - 10am
Tuesday 21st July 2026 – Last day of term (2pm finish)
School Food News
Chartwells - our school meal provider – has launched their new Autumn / Winter menu, filled with crowd-pleasing classics and fresh, seasonal flavours.
See the new menu below or visit the school website.
There is plenty of foodie fun planned for the Autumn/ Winter terms with themed menus!
Complaints procedures
At Delce, we aim to meet our statutory obligations when responding to complaints from our parents. Parents should follow our Complaints Policy that explains the procedures that should be followed.
Stage 1: Informal
The complainant should raise the complaint as soon as possible with the relevant member of staff or the headteacher as appropriate, either in person or by letter, telephone or email. If the complainant is unclear who to contact or how to contact them, they should contact the school office.
If the complaint is not resolved informally, it will be escalated to a Stage 2 formal complaint. The school will maintain a log of informal complaints and review this on a termly basis.
Stage 2: Formal
If the issue cannot be resolved through informal action the complainant should inform the headteacher in writing. This letter will be acknowledged within three working days. Formal complaints must be reported the local governing body. The local governing body must then be kept informed about progress and outcomes. This letter should provide details such as relevant dates, times, and the names of witnesses of events, alongside copies of any relevant documents. The complainant should also state what they feel would resolve the complaint.
For more details visit our website.